Okay. I’m gonna give you mine, then.
You didn’t just tell Euclase that the result of her hard work is essentially “not art,” you’ve told every artist that has ever been intrigued and inspired by faces, characters, and personalities - real or imagined - that their art is worth nothing because it is not, in your words, “from the heart.”
In a way, you have told me I’m not a real artist.
To that, I say, welcome to the wonderful world of portraiture! I bet you didn’t even realize that there are thousands of artists out there that specialize in painting people not only as they appear, but who we understand them to be.
When portrait artists set out to paint someone, that person as our subject does not “belong” to us to begin with. Their personality, character, likeness, are theirs and theirs alone, whether it’s owned by a corporation or not. We could just take a photo of that person and call it a day, but we don’t. We elevate them to the status of idols, nobles, gods and goddesses. When you look at a portrait, you’re looking at someone through the filter of another human being’s experience. You’re seeing love and respect being transformed into an image, a physical object. When we get the chance to paint someone in person who’s not a celebrity or media character, their reaction at the final result is always of gratitude and admiration. They can’t believe they’re seeing themselves through the lens of our labor and observation - totally different from the stark reality of mirrors and photographs, of which we’ve become so self-critical. Portrait artists are saying “I think you’re a wonderful person inside and out,” but we don’t just get to tell them, we get to show them!
As far as “creativity” goes, portraiture can run the gamut from super-photorealistic to “way out there.” Never assume that just because a piece of art might seem pretty literal and straightforward that it isn’t “creative.” When you make art, any kind of art, you are engaging in an act of creation.
Personally, I think all of this is beautiful and exciting beyond words. I think Euclase’s art is gorgeous and full of love.
If you ever feel the need to check it out, Euclase has discussed her thoughts on portraiture and expressed her mission as an artmaker several times throughout her blog. It makes for some really enlightening reading.
Portraiture is such a rewarding practice. I hope that as you grow and develop as an artist, anon, that you can come to appreciate this as well.
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